Woven slide fastener unit

Abstract

A slide fastener comprises two continuous plastic filaments, each with a multiplicity of helicoidal coupling elements for interlocking with the elements of the opposite filament, each filament being woven integral with the threads of its respective support tape to form a single tape-like unit. Each coupling element has a coupling head on a loop end and a long shank and a short shank extending from opposite sides of the loop end. The long shank terminates in a first bight portion connecting it with a long shank of one adjacent coupling element, while the short shank terminates in a second bight portion connecting it with a short shank of another adjacent coupling element. The coupling elements are arranged in rows of mirror-image pairs, each including two long shanks and two short shanks. Warp threads are interwoven with the coupling elements, with even stronger bracing possible with bulbous projections on the long shanks, short shanks, first bight portions or second bight portions using textile weft threads.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a slide fastener comprising a pair of rows of coupling elements formed from synthetic-resin monofilament coils with the coupling elements having shanks received in pockets of longitudinal threads forming a support structure with the respective coils which are interdigitable upon movement of a slider along said rows, each coupling element further having a head receivable between heads of coupling elements of the other row, the improvement wherein: the head of each of said coupling elements is formed as an eye projecting laterally from said support structure, each eye having a pair of arcuate eye-forming monofilament segments;   one of the segments of each eye is extended unitarily into a substantially rectilinear shank transverse to said longitudinal threads;   each of said shanks is connected to a corresponding shank of an adjacent coupling element by a bight distal from the coupling heads;   the other segment of each eye is connected to the corresponding segment of an adjacent eye by a bight proximal to said heads in the region of said eyes; and   the axes of said other segments intersect the slide fastener plane, said one segment of each coupling element and the respective shank in projection upon the slide fastener plane forming a straight line and said other segments connected by a common proximal bight in projection upon said plane forming a V, the shank and respective other segment of each coupling element being inclined to one another.   
     
     
       2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said other segments are received in common pockets of said longitudinal threads with the respective one segment. 
     
     
       3. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein other segments and said proximal bights lie outside the pockets formed by said longitudinal threads. 
     
     
       4. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said longitudinal threads are warp threads of a weave in which said shanks form at least part of the weft. 
     
     
       5. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said support structure is formed along one edge of a fabric tape, said tape and said support structure being interconnected by common weft threads. 
     
     
       6. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein said weft threads have respective loops overhanging said eyes individually. 
     
     
       7. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein said weft threads are looped around at least some of said bights. 
     
     
       8. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said shanks are formed with flattenings substantially parallel to the slide fastener plane. 
     
     
       9. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said shanks have an arcuate configuration in projection on the slide fastener. 
     
     
       10. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the longitudinal threads cross alternately over and under between successive shanks. 
     
     
       11. In a slide fastener stringer, the improvement which comprises: a pair of elongated continuous filaments formed with a plurality of coupling elements and interconnectible along confronting edges upon movement of a slider therealong, each coupling element including a loop end with a coupling head on its confronting edge, a long shank and a short shank extending from opposite sides of said loop end, a first bight portion remote from said confronting edge connecting said long shank with a long shank of one adjacent coupling element, and a second bight portion connecting said short shank with a short shank of another adjacent coupling element, the adjacent coupling elements being mirror images of each other about the bight portions interconnecting same;   warp threads extending parallel to said continuous filaments and passing between said shanks whereby said shanks form an exclusive weft for said warp threads over at least a portion of the width of the stringer; and   a weft thread interwoven with at least some of said warp threads and looped around each of said second bight portions.